Thursday, August 19, 2010

Taking Care the Next Generation by George Joseph Enchakkattil.

7 comments:

The attitude of Both Laity and Clergy of MOSC is to be changed. at present the attitude is as Kunchan Nambiar said " Deepastambham Mahathcharaeiyam Namukkum Kittanam Panam....".or "Nadu oadumbol Naduve Oadanam"Once we change our attitude and turn to God and his word we will be able take care of ourselves and next generation!

George Joseph's plea for taking care of our youth is urgent. We need coordinated efforts at all levels, parish, diocesan and Church as a whole. First let us recognize the urgency of the issue and deal with it. We need to teach our youth what the Orthodox Faith is and help them live the faith from young age. Very timely topic. Let us join together to discuss and find ways and means.Fr. Mathew C. Chacko, Sts.Basilios-Gregorios Orthodox Church of New Jersey, USA. Thursday after Dormition of the Mother of God.

Dear mr.GerogeYour concern of the future generation is quite apprciable.But it need a motivated teams dedications.Following steps to be adopted in every parishes-The parish should have various units and unit core executive members to co-ordinate all the youngesters on that unit to attend the regular unit meetings and regular classes.Each unit should have a sernior laity member in order to guide them and monitor them as and when required.Awareness of the spiritual growth requirement to be intiated by the senior members to the parents that spiritual growth to the children got equal importance like secular educationSeminars to be conducted at unit level in certain periods and united seminars as a whole of the parish also to be conducted accordingly.The vicar of the church can give more initiation at least visiting each unit one in at least two months and give them guidence requiredAlong with uplifting the spiritual growth equal importance will be iniated at unit level for the social activities also.Every unit member should be given an individual assignment so that they should an attitude that they are also the core part of the church and should know about the church and its faith.Divya bodhanam classes also can be given simultanesly at unit level either by the priest or elder members of the church.We should not wait for to watch "Poochake aaru manikettum"Let the laity take initiation then the attitude of "enikkum kittanam panam" can be changed from the corners we desires.Yours lovinglyVarghese Mathai.Akkanandan, MavelikaraPresently member fo SGOC Sharjah.

Dear Varghese I support your ideas/views.however the whole problem in in our church is that the clergy most often are lazy or show much interst in this regard)not all but about50%) I have experiened in my life this a lot!Let me bring you an example( a real thing) A parish priest got retired from his civil Job. He Told his parishners that after his retirement he is going to concentrate on his parish activities such as conducting Home Prayers,House Visits,and re-organising Marthamariam samajam,Youth etc. nothing happened in the parish after his retirement." Shakaran Pinneyum Thengel" he was not able to visit famililes or conduct home prayers!He is still busy on his personal/home affairs for the last 11 months.I do not want name the parish or reveal deatails of this in our church.Everybody should remember we have to stand, account before our Lord for our activities irrespective of our level in the church

Some root causes :1.This generation not having a clear understanding of Church in the Orthodox Christian tradition - On not knowing ourselves what it mean to be a member of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.2. From the Scriptures we know that St. Paul when he was persecuting Christians was taught that it is Christ who he is persecuting . We fail to see the parallel and forget like St. Paul who saw Christians only as a group trying to divide Judaism. If the Jews had really turned to the teachings of God through the prophets, they would have seen Jesus Christ as who He is. Each of us refuse to recognise that we each are accountable and responsible to learn and live the faith lived out by the Church as Orthodox Christians.

Dear Mr. Xaviour and Mr. George Joseph.This is in response to the issue regarding the biblical basis for the concept of Holy Qubana and the fellowship of the living and the departed.To your question I got an answer from the yesterday’s early mornings Holy bible readings-Psalms Chapter 118 verse 17 - I will not die instead I will live and proclaim what the Lord has doneLet me ask the question who is dead?Gen Chapter 2-17: You must not eat the fruit of that tree, if you do, you will die the same day.Luckily Malayalam language got the real concept of a life which include “deham, dehi and almave”Man lost his life when he sin. Even though we are living a physical life we are dead one when we keep on live in sin.Then who lives? Rom 1 to 11 makes it clear. Yes here is the answer to Mr. George Yes He is the God of the Living not of the dead. You and I are dead when we sin even though we live physically. These verses evidence the new life of mankind through Holy Baptism. The human who born in sin die and receives the Holy Spirit, the giver of Life abide in him subsequent to it(similarly that Jesus death and resurrection) . He thus retains his lost life, which Adam has lost in him and his ancestors. Even though we sins again, it is cleansed and renewed through Holy Confession and thereby receiving the Holy QurbanaDavid had sinned, then how he has retained the Holy Spirit?Psalms 51 makes it clear. I had sinned against you, retain me the Holy Spirit in me and do not take away the Holy Spirit from me. I will praise thee. That he made it clear in Psalms 118 that I will not die. It is not regarding the Physical death but of the spiritual death. You are confused about death in Christian concept.ContinuesVarghese MathaiMavelikaraNow member of SGOC Sharjah

I had seen the regular attitude and approach of the protestant to use bit of quotes from here and there from the Holy Bible, but did not consider the remaining part and the Holy Bible as a whole. It is common for the protestants to quote the verse of David himself wherein he states that the “the dead one and sleeps in silence, never praise the Lord”. But the subsequent verses are purposely ignored and omitted, which states that “But we will praise Him forever”. He did not mention that I will praise Him till my life in this world or till my physical death. Therefore, David is praising His Lord till today and will do it for ever. The silence and death should be seen in its real concept. This meant that even though, human lives physically, he would b a dead one when he keeps on sinning and keep on silent and do not repents. That is what has happened to Adam, when his Lord had asked him, where are you? Does you disobeyed me?Further what our Lord Jesus said when he established the Holy Qurbana. “ Those who eat and drink this bread and wine (the flesh and blood of Christ our Lord) shall not die but will have eternal life. He is the life giving bread. The breath mankind have is the breath of God which he has given only to the mankind “the breath of life”. The Holy Spirit.It may require pages if I have to take the references in bible and explain it. You can read followingsRomans Ch.8 verses 7-11,Romans Ch. verses 4-6,9-13,24, St.James Ch.5.verses 20 “whoever turns a sinner back from his wrong way will save that sinners soul from death” .Note the soul lives.1 Cor Ch 15 Verse 51-52. When the triumphant sounds........ How the departed can hear the sound if the souls did not live?

Akkanadan Varghese MathaiMavelikara, At present member of SGOC Sharjah.